Arbiter vs Mandalore
by ColdCupoJoe
Summary: Hello everyone! This is another addition to my battle series, this time taking two legendary leaders of the stars, Arbiter (Thel 'Vadam) versus Mandalore (Canderous Ordo)! This takes the Arbiter from approximately his time during Halo 5 and Mandalore from presumably between KOTOR 1 and 2 just after he took up the title. Hopefully I got all characterizations right and y'all enjoy!


Arbiter vs Mandalore the Preserver

Nothing. He could remember nothing.

Thel "Vadam rose groggily, feeling the cold steel floor on his palms as he hoisted himself up. The Sangheili alien peeked open his eyes as he rose to his feet.

He found himself naked in a cramped cell, his head near inches from the ceiling and walls tight enough to touch with both arms outstretched. The room was sparsely decorated, as one wall had a concrete slab for a bench, under which was a coarse gray blanket, while another bore a hardlight barrier, the light blue wall giving off the only light in the cell with a faint electrical whir. 'Vadam ran his fingers across the steel walls, feeling for any seems to no avail.

"Damn it all," Thel's voice rumbled, finding no structural weaknesses to the cell and glancing out of the hardlight door to the cell.

He saw a long corridor stretching in both directions, lined with similar cells to his. While his vision was too distorted to make out any specifics, he could see that the other cells were inhabited with species other than his own, a species per cell as far as he could tell. The others paced, scratched at the walls or sat in silence, some aliens the Arbiter could recognize, others he could not.

"Finally awake?" a man's voice came from the right of Thel's containment pod in English, a common human language. The Sanheili moved to the edge of the hardlight barrier, trying to get a glimpse at the cell to his side.

"What is the meaning of this?" Thel asked in the man's native tongue above the hum of the door. "This cannot be the work of the Hierarchs."

"Hierarchs? No," the voice on the other side scoffed. Thel noted that he could hear metal footsteps on the other side of the wall. Either not all were born into this prison without garments, or his new acquaintance had earned his another away.

"Welcome to the glorious planet of Cato Neimoidia," the voice continued as Thel went back to examining the walls of his cell, being able to perfectly hear his neighbor through the wall. "And its most prestigious gladiator arena, Tarko-se Arena, home to war criminals, career mercs, and yours truly."

"If you do not claim yourself among criminals and mercenaries, may I assume you are a hunter? A procurer of things?" Thel questioned, beginning to tire of looking for ways out of the cell.

"I am Canderous Ordo of clan Ordo, leader of the Mandalorians," the voice said, a sense of pride in his voice. "A warrior above all else, I've fought across the galaxy for forty-three years before waking in this accursed place. Surely you are aware of the Mandalorian Wars?"

"I cannot say I am," Thel pondered. In all of his service with the Covenant he couldn't recall any records of Mandalorians, much less their war, but at least now he knew he was in common company.

"And what of you? Was it the deeds of a thief or a warrior that landed you in this hellhole?" Canderous called across.

"Warrior, to be sure," Thel responded, eyes darting to the residents through the barrier. Some other prisoners had begun going mad as human passed in heavy armor, electrified staves held at the ready. "I held many titles in the war with the humans. The humans knew me as 'Destroyer.' In the Covenant, I was Supreme Commander. The Prophets named me… Arbiter. By the end of the war, I even came to be known as friend to some humans."

"A war against all humans? Incredible aspirations, I'm impressed. I am proud to make your acquaintance, however short it may be," Canderous said. Thel heard the man still pacing, his heavy footsteps still thunking on the metal floor.

"Short?" Thel asked, his interest piqued. Whether through execution or combat, this sounded like an opportunity for escape.

"You are slated as my next opponent," Canderous cleared up, his pacing stopped. "You are a warrior, so I will give you a warrior's death. I've killed fifty-seven people in this arena, some honorably, others not so much. So prepare yourself accordingly, Arbiter, if I may call you that, for I wish to put you down honorably as well."

Thel thought a moment. Of course this gladiatorial arena would be meant for fighting, but to what end he could not be for certain.

"Have you thought of escape?" Thel asked, hearing the pacing resume. "You have equipment, armor at least, we may hunt down the runners of this demented game and extinguish their light forever."

"You're not the first to try to concoct a plan of such nature," Canderous retorted, "myself included. But there is no way to sneak anything useful out of the arena. You will earn your armor and weapons, but weapons are forfeit after each duel, and only one walks away after weapons are dealt out. There are too many guards for just one warrior to escape alive."

"Then we must escape together, while still in the arena," Arbiter concluded. A violent crash of metal was heard as Canderous punched the wall in the other cell.

"You don't get it; we are here to earn honor as punishment for our deeds. If you want purpose, make the arena your purpose. Win or lose, as long as the fight is worthy, then honor is gained. We Mandalorians take everything we are and throw it into battle. It's the true test of yourself, the battle against death… against oblivion."

"You claim to be the leader of the Mandalorians," Thel posed, eyes flashing to the increased flow of guards through the hallway. "Do you not owe your duty to your people alive? Do you not wish to see them prosper under your present guidance?"

Thel heard the footsteps cease again, minutes passed without response. He tapped the metal bench impatiently, not knowing how long they would have to organize an escape.

"Get some rest." Canderous's voice broke the silence over the hum of the hardlight doors. "I do not wish to fight you in a weakened state. And no more talk of escape. If you are given the chance, do not hesitate to end my life, as I will give you the same honor."

The Arbiter shook his head, reaching under the bench to grab the blanket to drape over himself, getting comfortable on the bench.

"Think on my words as you rest," Arbiter called back, his mind racing from how he could have gotten here to ways to get out. "I will not ask you for mercy, but it will not be so easy for you."

[]

Canderous awoke to the familiar sound of a buzzing alarm, a flashing red light circling in his cell. He rose to his feet, his metal boots landing heavily on the floor. His cell had been allowed to be furnished slowly with his victories in the arena, as was he allowed to keep his Mandalorian armor, but he enjoyed the spartan living that the cell allowed him. A metal cot, a plasteel container with a few sparse goods, and an armor maintenance bench, sorely underused after lacking proper contest.

The blue barrier at the front of the cell powered down with an electrical crackle, two armored guards with electrical pikes at the doorframe. The guards approached cautiously, electricity sparking from the end of their weapons.

"Easy there, I'm coming," Canderous said impatiently, stepping between the guards who parted immediately and began escorting the Mandalorian from behind. Mandalore stepped into the hallway, casting a brief glance to the cell beside his. He saw two other guards approach his neighbor's cell, but was unable to see inside as he walked on through the hallway.

It was a familiar path to him at this point as Canderous passed by cells on both sides. Some faces in the cells Canderous recognized, others fresh and unbattered. He did not pity the new, nor did he feel any connection to the old. He couldn't, not in this underground world of death and pain. He only felt respect and disgust, mixed among both parties of potential future combatants.

Canderous made his way to the gate before the arena, an enclosed room to its side served as a small weapons vendor for the combatants. Inside the vendor was a small woman, wrinkled with age and sitting upon a small hover chair, large circular spectacles rested on the bridge of her nose. Behind her hung a vast array of weaponry, from daggers and spears to lasers and railguns, millennia and galaxies apart.

"Ordo!" the woman exclaimed in a gratingly high voice, a grin stretching from ear to wrinkly ear. "What can I get for you today, sweetheart?"

"Maydla! My favorite young lady on the station," Canderous flashed her a smile as he approached the counter. "I'll take the usual today, put it on my tab."

"If I could still blush I would," the elder woman chuckled, her finger twitching on the control pad on her chair, spinning it around and ascending the tall rack of weaponry. Robotic arms extended from her chair as she rifled through the weaponry, grabbing guns as she floated about. She called down from up high. "Another walk in the park for you I'm guessing, can I put another thousand credits on you this fine morning?"

"Whatever you believe," Canderous smiled as Maydla returned. Her chair arms slid a heavy laser blaster onto the table as well as a smaller laser rifle, and a vibrosword onto the counter. He snagged the vibrosword, sliding it into a sheath and attached it to his belt, placed the heavy blaster onto his back, and carefully cradled the rifle, turning it over in his hands to ensure it was to his specifications.

"And that's not all!" Maydla said in her high pitched voice, her chair descending slightly as she reached under the counter. Mandalore looked on in curiosity before she returned, slamming a shiny silver helmet with a T-shaped visor onto the counter. Canderous's eyes went wide.

"You didn't…" Canderous was astounded, reaching out to run his fingers across the smooth metal dome of the helm.

"Took us a while to track down, but that right there is the gen-u-ine mask of Mandalore," Maydla shouted proudly, adjusting her glasses before crossing her arms in front of her torso. "Figured if you said you used to reunite the Mandalorians, you could look the part too!"

Canderous set his rifle down to pick the helmet up with incredible reverence, running his fingers through the battle scars torn into its casing. He slowly lifted it onto his head, the helmet fastening to the neck of his armor with the hiss of a vacuum seal.

"Now you look like Mandalore himself! I hope you don't mind, I told the big fellas up top to introduce you as that! If you look the part, you know!" Maydla chuckled, her hover chair bouncing a bit. Canderous stood in silence, memories flooding him of following Mandalore the Ultimate, of the Mandalorian Wars. He felt equal pride, shame, and rage, a confusing mixture for the old warrior.

A bright light flashed on the ceiling above, bathing the entry way in red light as a siren began to sound within the arena.

"This means more than you can imagine," Canderous nodded at Maydla. He meant that twofold, but he could not dwell on his impression on Maydla as the two guard escorts edged closer, motioning for Canderous to enter the arena.

"Just go get them sweetheart," Maydla shouted after Canderous as he walked to the gate. "Show 'em the Ordo I know and love!"

Canderous peered through the metal gate to view the battlefield. Though normally the field still had the tan, coarse sand that he was used to, there now stood solid, twisted metal structures stuck out of the sandy ground, jaggedly pointing upward about a story tall. There also laid large purple containers, 6-feet tall and grape-shaped littering the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a treat for you today!" an announcer called out over the stadium. Canderous looked to the crowd sitting high above the arena on all sides, of various races and backgrounds all cheering wildly as they threw flowers into the arena.

Canderous closed his eyes listening to the roar of the crowd. This was the closest he ever got to the roar of open conflict, the chaos of war. It was a bitter mimic, but it was all he could hold onto these days.

"In our red corner, the pride of the Mandalorians, the butcher of the outer rim, the slaughterer of Althir, Mandalore!" the announcer rang out as the gate rose. Canderous stepped into the arena, laser rifle in his hands as the crowd erupted into cheer. He looked to the other side of the arena, a large identical gate in a half-circle slowly raising.

"And in our blue corner, a newcomer standing 2.4 meters tall, 145 kilograms. Hailing from the distant planet of Sanghelios, this monster chased humans from every planet he conquered and when he was hunted by his allies for heresy he did the same to them! Master of the blaster and sword, I give you the Arbiter!"

Fifty meters away, through the obstacles in the sand, Canderous saw a figure emerge from the darkness beyond the gate. The beast was tall, clad in silver-bronze armor from head to toe, any gap in the armor covered by a dark black body suit. At this distance Canderous did not recognize any weaponry the beast held, but he could see objects on his belt and back as well. The creature was humanoid, barring its backward-turned knees and odd head. This opponent did not have a head that Canderous recognized, with a slightly elongated neck and an almost turtle-like cranium, with split mandibles replacing his lower jaw.

He carried himself like a warrior, surveying the arena as he stepped forward, no doubt Canderous's companion he had talked to the previous night. He nodded, as the Arbiter nodded in kind, before turning his attention to a small boxed pulpit in the stands.

"We welcome you, great warriors," a new announcer called out, this time they saw the speaking gentleman in luxurious red robes waving his hands in cadence. "Let us have a wonderfully bloody duel to start the light of the morning suns!"

Canderous scoffed. As many of these entrances as he had heard, they had not gotten any less repulsive from the nobleman's mouth.

"Kill me or release me, but do not waste my time with words!" Arbiter called out, silencing the crowd. Mandalore stood impressed. Though many had cursed the warden, or begged for mercy, but he knew that his fate was out of his hands yet showed his honor still.

The nobleman looked aggravated at this outburst, his brow furrowing as his grip tightened.

"Fight and die nobly, for the glory of Tarko-se Arena!" he shouted, waving his hand.

Canderous pulled his rifle to his shoulder and pointed it the opposing gate, not wanting to waste any time.

He pulled the trigger, firing off the familiar sound of his blaster and sending multiple red laser blasts flying across the field as the crowd exploded with cheer. Arbiter was more agile than Mandalore was expecting, however, as he rolled away into cover behind one of the purple containers, the blaster marks scorching its exterior.

As soon as Canderous's firing paused, Arbiter rounded the corner of the barricade, a rifle up to his shoulder. The carbine fired, shooting green projectiles across the battlefield. The first shot slammed into Canderous's chest plate, the bullet bouncing harmlessly off of the silver metal, but the second buried itself between the Mandalorian's leg plating.

Canderous grunted in pain, he was not used to being injured in combat in this arena, but it gave him an odd pleasure knowing it would not be an easy victory. The heads up display within his helmet flashed a radiation warning, the origin being the breach in his leg armor. He gritted his teeth as he activated his regeneration implant and the cybernetics began fighting against the toxic bullet. He ran from cover to cover, advancing on the alien opponent as shots continued to fire, spraying his own laser repeater as he crossed the field.

He caught the alien in the head with one of his laser bolts, though the blast only crashed into the Sangheili's energy shield, draining it completely with the one blast and making his armor spark with electricity before he ducked behind his cover once more. Canderous had seen personal energy shields in his experience in combat before, though they were still relatively reserved for the incredibly rich or the most noteworthy thieves.

Canderous reached the purple container, standing ready on the opposite side of his enemy as he pulled free his heavy repeating blaster in both hands. He counted his breaths, gritting his teeth as his feet dug into the sand, rounding the container's corner and fired a short burst.

His blaster rounds only struck sand, glassing the ground with the intense energy, as his opponent was no longer there. Canderous's head swiveled, finding no trace of the Arbiter.

"Come on out and fight me! I will kill you for cowardice alone!" Canderous shouted, revving up his heavy blaster. He sprayed laser fire across the battlefield, the shots scorching the field and metal structures but not finding their target.

"Were it so easy," a voice came from behind the Mandalorian. Canderous heaved his weapon around, continuing to unleash his volley of laser fire. He continued to shoot fruitlessly into the air, but in the corner of his eye he saw a shimmer of light ducking behind a metal structure.

Cloaking device, of course.

He gritted his teeth as he trained his blaster on the large jagged structure, holding his fire and waiting for his opponent to pop around his cover. As he waited, he saw a slight distortion of light peeking around the corner. Canderous squeezed the trigger, a flurry of red lasers flew toward the shimmer of light, smacking into the Arbiter's torso.

The shimmering light broke as the first laser blast connected, a second and third burning deep into the Arbiter's ornate chest plate with dark red scorch marks. Arbiter returned fire, however, as he pulled up a blue handheld device that began spewing bright blue bolts of plasma. Canderous was easily able to sidestep the first few bolts as he charged forward, though a few other blasts crashed into his heavy blaster. The plasma burned through the barrel of his gun, melting it into an inoperable hunk of metal by the time he reached his opponent.

Canderous gritted his teeth, throwing the weapon to the side as he pulled the vibrosword from his belt. The dark silver blade glinted in the sunlight as he quickly approached the Arbiter. While his foe was able to pepper him with more plasma rounds, they harmlessly bounced off of his armor.

He finally came upon his enemy and realized he was much taller than he expected, standing almost a foot taller than himself. This did not stop Canderous, however, as he brought his vibrosword around from his side to slash at the Arbiter's arm.

Thel jumped back, out of the way, and dropped his energy rifle, grabbing a small device on his waist. He held it in front of himself and with a burst of energy two burning orange energy blades ignited in parallel to each other creating a two-pronged sword.

"Jedi?" Canderous was caught off guard, the word coming out with a tint of both respect and hatred.

"You face a Sword of Sanghelios," Arbiter called back, readying his sword at his side. "We can still escape this prison. We need not fight."

Canderous shook his head, twirling the vibroblade in his hand.

"My people have a saying: a warrior who doesn't hope for battle has no hope during battle. You may lay down your weapons and I shall give you a clean death."

"If you refuse, then I will see this fight finished!" Arbiter called out, charging in with his blade.

The vibrosword caught the energy blade, its specialized metal alloy stopping the blade in its tracks. He pushed the sword back, his strength surprising the towering Sangheili but not enough as he only managed to push the alien a about a step.

The Mandalorian swung back, slashing at the Arbiter's torso, only to be parried and slashed across his own chest. His Mandalorian iron held, though the blade left a blue scorch mark across his perfect silver breastplate.

Canderous gritted his teeth as he reached out to swing again, this time successfully slashing at the beast's leg, tearing open a gash and spraying purple blood across the sands. Arbiter grunted in pain before reaching up with his off hand and clocking the soldier across his helm, dizzying the well trained commando. Canderous only just gained back his senses in time to see the Arbiter's hand extending out for him.

Canderous felt himself be lift off the ground as the alien wrapped his three-fingered hand around his neck before slamming him face first onto the ground. His face accelerated into the front of his mask, breaking his nose before he was able to roll onto his back. He looked up as the Arbiter held his blade just above his neck, ready to decapitate him.

"Do it!" Canderous shouted, no longer possessing the energy to keep ahold of his sword. Arbiter stood over his downed prey unflinching, slowly backing away from his armored opponent.

"Victory and honor do not grow from timid seeds, and you have proven yourself today Mandalorian. Now you must trust my lead if we are to escape this cesspit," Arbiter's lower mandibles clacked as he deactivated his energy sword. The crowd around the two warriors booed and hissed as Arbiter turned his back on Canderous, eyeing the noble's pulpit.

"Kill him!" the nobleman shouted, foaming at the corners of his mouth.

"You have had your bloodshed, if you are waiting for either of us to beg you will be disappointed!" Arbiter called out, his fingers twitching above a small blue orb on his belt. Canderous cautiously got to his knee, his eyes floating to the rising entrance gates. From the gates flooded a dozen guards, all armed with their electrical staves. It dawned on Canderous, however, that these staves were the only thing they possessed.

"I give you the chance to free us," Arbiter continued to call out, Canderous standing shoulder to shoulder with the alien. "I can tell there was honor here once, I give you the chance to see it restored."

There was a brief silence in the crowd as the guards encircled the two warriors. Arbiter turned his head to the Mandalorian, eyeing up the growing force of guards.

"One cannot train in the ways of spilling blood without partaking in the act," Arbiter whispered, his hand now grasping the blue orb as it began to glow. "I had to see how well disciplined you were, are you ready to show me more?"

"Ready to go down punching," Canderous smiled beneath his helmet. He clenched his fists as the Arbiter threw the orb, it attaching to a nearby guard and exploding, instantly vaporizing two others, and he leapt into the battle to escape.

Winner:

Arbiter Thel 'Vadam

Stay tuned for a Castlevania/Mortal Kombat crossover battle in the future!


End file.
